1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an applicator for the treatment of an elevated internal ocular pressure by means of laser radiation.
An elevated internal ocular pressure, usually termed glaucoma, can be reduced by the coagulation of the ciliary body of the eye by irradiation with laser radiation of a suitable wavelength. A description of this method was, for example, given by D. E. Gaasterland et al. The abstract of his lectures can be found in Invest. Opththalmol. and Visual Sci., Vol. 33, 1992, pp. 1644, entitled "A Multicenter Study of Contact Diode Laser Transscleral Cyclophoto-Coagulation in Glaucoma Patients."
2. Relevant Prior Art
A suitable applicator for carrying out this process is furthermore known from the International Patent Application WO 92/16259. The applicator described there includes a sleeve which has a tapered shape on the exit side, approximately matching the surface of the eye. The end of the fiber optic light conductor arranged in the applicator is arranged at a certain distance from the application surface. Due to the divergent light guide radiating characteristic, problems in bringing the applied laser power to act fully on the ciliary body arise because of this arrangement. Furthermore there exists the danger of not only irradiating the ciliary body but also damaging surrounding tissues in the eye.
In the case of an arrangement in which the exit end of the fiber optic light conductor is brought into direct contact with the surface of the eye, i.e. with the conjunctiva, problems likewise arise. Because of the high power density in the boundary surface, adhesion of the fiber to the conjunctiva can occur there, which likewise represents a danger for the patient.